Huh? County Issues "Cold Weather Alert" as Temperatures Rise Into the Upper 70s

We're in the midst of some bizarre weather that is perhaps a prelude to an El Niño drenching in January.

We experienced "the warmest October on record in most coastal and valley areas of southwestern California," according to the National Weather Service. And daytime temperatures in November mostly hovered in the above-average range — and then some.

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Now mother nature is taking us on an even stranger path on the first day of December.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued a "cold weather alert" through Thursday for some parts of L.A. And yet, this week you could go to the beach and, in the midday sun, get a tan without getting cold, according to forecasters.

Which one is it, then? Both.

Cold is indeed here for parts of our region. The county warned folks that, with a wind-chill factor, lows last night were 32 and below in Woodland Hills, the Santa Clarita Valley areas, the Pomona Valley, local mountain areas, and the Antelope Valley.

Freezing lows were expected to continue for the Pomona Valley and local mountains overnight and for the Antelope Valley through Thursday night, county officials said.

Health officials urged Angelenos in these areas to wear layers and seek out the county's Winter Shelter Program if necessary.

"Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities or special medical needs are especially vulnerable during such cold snaps," said Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, the Los Angeles County Interim Health Officer. "Extra precaution should be taken to ensure they don’t get too cold when they are outside."

At the same time, a warming trend is heading for L.A.

"There will be continued warming through Friday morning," says National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe. "A low pressure system over us is pushing east, taking colder air with it, and high pressure aloft is building in, bringing in some warmer air."

We could even see some light offshore winds by midweek, he said.

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Today high temps in the L.A. basin should be near 70, with the mid- to upper-70s expected by tomorrow, Munroe said said. Even the beaches should see temps in the lower 70s.

The private forecasting service AccuWeather is even more bullish on the warmth. "By Wednesday, some inland areas could approach 80 F as downtown Los Angeles has highs in the mid-70s, above normal for this time of year," the forecaster states.

Thursday and Friday will see a slight cool down, but then temperatures could be back up to the mid-70s for much of the basin over the weekend, Munroe said.

So there you have it, Los Angeles: Stay warm and keep cool.

Dennis Romero is an L.A. Weekly staff writer. He formerly worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian and, as a young stringer, the New York Times.